TSUTAKA WAICHI

• TSUTAKA WAICHI, Japanese Western-style painter and poet. His concise abstract expression is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad. He painted figurative paintings until early 1956, later he changed to abstract paintings with a distinctive poetic sentiment. In 1946, he exhibited his work at the Behavioral Arts Society Exhibition. In 1960, he exhibited at the New York Guggenheim Prize Art Exhibition. Since 1969, he had been a professor at the Department of Fine Arts, Osaka University of Arts, the following year he became an emeritus professor. Major Collections: Museum of Modern Art, New York; British Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sao Paulo; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

• relevant artists

  • SUGAI KUMI

    SUGAI KUMI, was a Western-style painter and printmaker born in Kobe, who moved to France in 1952. Having studied Japanese painting, his works were highly acclaimed in the Paris art world for their oriental exoticism. In his early years, he painted forms reminiscent of hieroglyphs, but around 1962 his style shifted dramatically to depict geometric shapes in clear, vivid colors. Known as an avid speed enthusiast, he loved driving his Porsche at high speeds. The sights that imprinted themselves on his mind and the sensations of flowing colors while traveling at over 200 kilometers per hour often translated directly into his art, taking shape as motifs and compositions brimming with a sense of velocity.

  • ANDY WARHOL

    Andy Warhol, regarded as one of the most famous figures in 20th century art, who is the advocate and leader of Pop Art, and the artist who influenced Pop Art the most. He boldly experimented with various reproduction techniques such as letterpress printing, rubber or wood topography, gold leaf technique, and photo projection. In addition to being a leading figure in Pop Art, Warhol was a filmmaker, writer, rock music composer, publisher, and a star artist in the New York social and artistic scene.

  • YOSHIDA TOSHIO

    YOSHIDA TOSHIO, a painter, born in Hyogo, Japan. He joined the Gutai Art Association in 1954. He characterized himself by creating works without using a paintbrush, and in his early years he produced works with holes drilled in boards and works with burn marks on boards. In the 1960s, he expanded from works using sponges to those using bubbles.

  • IMAI TOSHIMITSU

    IMAI TOSHIMITSU, born in Kyoto, Japan, received his training at Tokyo University of the Arts. His early works were influenced by Fauvism, and in 1952, he won the Best Newcomer Award at the 15th Shinseisaku Salon. In the same year, he went to Paris to study medieval history and philosophy. In 1955, under the influence of art critic MICHEL TAPIÉ, his style shifted towards abstraction. Imai exhibited at the São Paulo Biennale in 1953, held a group exhibition in Japan in 1956, and participated in the Venice Biennale in 1960. He received the Excellence Award at the 5th Tokyo Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1962. After 1970, he began incorporating text and Japanese cultural elements into his works, eventually addressing themes such as Japan's invasion of China and World War II. Major Collections: the Ohara Museum of Art; the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

  • IZUMI SHIGERU

    IZUMI SHIGERU, Japanese artist, born in Osaka. He graduated from the Crafts Design Department of Osaka Municipal Crafts School in 1934, and worked in the Advertising Department of Daimaru Osaka Store. In 1951, he participated in the formation of the "Association of Democrat Artists" and began making copperplate prints and lithographs under the influence of Ei-Q. In 1957, he received the Newcomer's Encouragement Award at the 1st Tokyo International Print Biennale. In 1959, he moved to New York, and in 1963, he moved to Paris, where he developed a style of geometric abstraction. After returning to Japan in 1968, he began using rulers, compasses, and airbrushes to experiment with abstraction without subjectivity. Since 1970, he had been a professor at Osaka University of Arts, where he has trained many young artists. In 2005, the exhibition "IZUMI SHIGERU's Legacy, 10 years after his death" was held at the Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama.

  • KANEKO KUNIYOSHI

    KANEKO KUNIYOSHI, a painter from Japan, was born in Warabi City, Saitama Prefecture. He began teaching himself oil painting in 1964 and the following year, he met Ryuichi Shibusawa and was tasked with the cover design and illustrations for "The Tale of Ojou". He became well-known for his cover illustrations and illustrations for many books and magazines. In 1998, he opened the art gallery "Bijutsu Club Higurashi" in Jinbocho.

  • MATSUTANI TAKESADA

    MATSUTANI TAKESADA, Japanese contemporary artist, who became a member of Gutai Art Association in 1963. He established the technique of painting the bonded screen in black with pencil, and is active at the forefront of the world with a main section at the Venice Biennale in 2017 and a solo exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 2019.

  • CAI GUO-QIANG

    CAI GUO-QIANG, born in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, in 1957, contemporary artist currently living in New York. After studying stage design at the Shanghai Drama Institute, he spent several years in Japan, studying at the University of Tsukuba from late 1986 to 1995. Since 1995, he has been based in New York, producing "gunpowder drawings" and large-scale performances, as well as many installations with Chinese and Asian cultural backgrounds. In 1999, he was awarded the Golden Lion at the 48th Venice Biennale. He held exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum, and was the Visual Special Effects Artistic Director for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, designing the fireworks display for the ceremony.